INTO THE WOODS, SEVEN YEAR ITCH & More Set for New Village Arts' 10th Season

New Village Arts, Carlsbad's award-winning, professional theatre is very proud to announce its Tenth Season. This will be NVA's biggest season ever, with eight full productions, NVA's first musical and two local premieres. Over the past nine seasons, NVA has established itself as one of the most important mid-sized theatres in San Diego, producing over 40 highly acclaimed productions, including a world-premiere holiday show, multiple regional and local premieres, unforgettable American and world classics, the intense work of Sam Shepard and the popular FREE Shakespeare in the Park. New Village Arts honors that history in Season 10 and introduces some exciting new traditions for North County, by selecting shows that honor the history of the company, recognize the amazing current growth and give an intriguing glimpse into the future. All of the plays take us on an adventure - into growing up, learning about love and loss and celebrating the power of the human soul.

Season 10 kicks off at the end of July with George Axelrod's hilarious take on the shifting morals of 1950's America, THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH. It's a long, hot New York City summer in 1952 and advertising man Richard Sherman (NVA Ensemble Member and Equity Actor Daren Scott) has sent his wife (Melissa Fernandes) and son to enjoy the cooler climate of the beach while he stays home to work. When the upstairs neighbor, a stunning model for "US Camera" (Jacque Wilke) almost knocks-out Richard with a tomato plant dropped from above, Richard begins to invest in his fantasy life, until the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred. The production will be directed by NVA Ensemble Member Amanda Sitton, one of the most celebrated actors in San Diego. "I think it is important to re-appropriate the great American Comedies of the stage because there is a tendency to see the history of American Theater as a stridently dramatic one, and that's just not so," comments Sitton. THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH will run July 29 - August 22, 2010, with opening night on July 31 at 8 PM.

Up next is a big first for NVA: the musical. "Since this is our first musical, I figured we would go big and do one of my all-time favorites," says Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner, "and I couldn't be more thrilled than to have James Vasquez direct the show." Mr. Vasquez is currently co-directing SWEENEY TODD at Cygnet and has directed the GRINCH at The Old Globe for many seasons and will lead NVA's production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's INTO THE WOODS. Once Upon a Time...a baker and his wife embark on a quest into the woods, to fulfill the witch's request and lift a curse that has kept them from having a child. Along the way, they meet Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk), Cinderella, two handsome princes and a motley assortment of other characters, all on quests of their own. Stephen Sondheim's enormously popular musical answers the question of what really happens after "happily ever after" and includes some of the most beautiful songs in the musical theatre canon, including Giants in the Sky, Children Will Listen and No One Is Alone. "INTO THE WOODS became one of my favorite musicals the first time I heard the original cast recording over 20 years ago. We're reminded that the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side - but I've always found inspiration in the idea that no matter how different we may all seem, if we come together as a community, we'll never be alone and lost in the woods," says Vasquez. INTO THE WOODS will run September 23 - October 31, 2010, with opening night on September 25 at 8 PM.

Running concurrently with INTO THE WOODS will be a return to one of NVA's most popular events, the outdoor Shakespeare-in-the-Park. Produced in partnership with the Moonlight Cultural Foundation and presented at Moonlight Amphitheatre, AS YOU LIKE IT will return NVA to the Forest of Arden, where the Shakespeare-in-the-Park tradition began. AS YOU LIKE IT is one of Shakespeare's most beloved romantic comedies, and features the strongest female character the Bard ever wrote in Rosalind, portrayed by Ensemble Member Amanda Sitton. University of San Diego professor Liz Shipman will direct the play, and comments, "this play was the play that made me fall in love with Shakespeare. The colorful characters, the timeless themes, the humor and pathos make this comedy one of Shakespeare's finest." AS YOU LIKE IT will run at Moonlight Amphitheatre October 6-10, 2010.

For the holiday's, NVA will return to a tradition started last year and feature Ensemble Member Daren Scott in David Sedaris's THE SANTALAND DIARIES. One of our most successful productions from Season 9, THE SANTALAND DIARIES takes us on a journey through one Christmas season with Crumpet the Elf as he encounters the insane world of the retail industry at the holidays. This production sold out almost every performance last year - it is recommended that people purchase their tickets early! Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner will again direct the production for Season 10. THE SANTALAND DIARIES runs December 2-24, 2010, with opening night on December 4 at 8 PM.

New Village Arts' will start off 2011 with the San Diego premiere of Jamie Pachino's moving play WAVING GOODBYE. Directed by Ensemble Member Dana Case, Waving Goodbye is the story of Lily Blue, a 17-year-old photographer who loses her father in a mountain climbing accident, and must spend her 17th year with the mother who abandoned her. It's a story of loss, grief, change, making art, wishing things were different, being stalled, finding love, not turning into your mother, and those irrevocable moments after which nothing is ever the same. Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner will be featured in this production, which was named the Best New Play in Chicago when it premiered at Steppenwolf Theatre in 2002. WAVING GOODBYE will run January 13 - February 6, 2011 with opening night on January 15 at 8 PM.

Over the past nine seasons, NVA has built quite a reputation for its productions of the work of one of America's greatest dramatists, Sam Shepard. To celebrate Season 10, NVA presents a Shepard favorite, SIMPATICO, which blends all of Shepard's trademarks with a clever sense of humor. This promises to be one of the most entertaining and enthralling nights at the theatre. Watch unbelievable actors, lead by Ensemble Member Manny Fernandes and Equity Actor Mike Sears, tackle extreme situations under the direction of Lisa Berger, known for her ability to take edgy stories and tell them with compassion, humanity and humor. Berger has been awarded a Patte Award for Theatre Excellence for the past two years, and recently directed the regional premiere of THINGS WE WANT for NVA. SIMPATICO will run March 3 - 27, with opening night on March 5 at 8 PM.

Season 10 continues with a regional premiere straight out of Labyrinth Theatre in New York. SWEET STORM, by Scott Hudson, takes place in Florida in 1960 during a ferociously approaching storm. Ruthie and Bo, two newlyweds, enter their honeymoon suite in the sky, a treehouse which is a romantic gesture from the young groom to his bride. Bo's expectations of living happily ever after in the sky are soon grounded by Ruthie's realization that marriage comes with many unforeseen - and frightening - challenges. The two lovers struggle to fortify themselves against forces both inside and outside. This is a funny, powerful, and intimate love story to challenge our perceptions of marriage, faith, and love. Featuring Ensemble Member Adam Brick with Kelly Iversen, SWEET STORM will mark the directing debut of Ensemble Member Daren Scott. The New York Times raves "SWEET STORM stays with you like the freshness following a summer cloudburst." SWEET STORM will run April 21 - May 15, 2011 with opening night on April 23 at 8 PM.

New Village Arts will finish Season 10 with what is arguably the greatest American play ever written, Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, directed by Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner and featuring Ensemble Member Jack Missett as Willy Loman. Written in 1949, DEATH OF A SALESMAN won both the Tony and the Pulitzer and quickly became one of the most important and influential American plays. The story considers one ordinary man's struggle to be extraordinary in life. What defines success? How far will a person go to achieve the American dream? A thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty that remains one of the most profound classic dramas of the American theatre. Also joining the cast are Ensemble Members Dana Case as Linda and John DeCarlo as Biff, with Greg Wittman as Happy. "I can't imagine a better way to celebrate Season 10 than by directing DEATH OF A SALESMAN. Jack Missett has been with NVA from the very beginning, and I am thrilled to see what he will do with the character of Willy Loman." DEATH OF A SALESMAN will run June 9 - July 3, 2011 with opening night on June 11 at 8 PM.

For Season Ten, New Village Arts will continue its tradition of making the two preview performances of each show Pay-What-You-Can. NVA strongly believes in making theatre accessible to all, and is proud to offer this opportunity to our community. Regular ticket prices are $22 - $30 for the regular season and $32 - $38 for INTO THE WOODS. Season Passes are now available at www.NewVillageArts.org, and start as low as $114. An All-Access Pass is available for $250, which includes unlimited access to any play, music performance and special event at NVA all season long.

New Village Arts is located in the heart of Carlsbad Village at 2787 State Street and includes a 102-seat Mainstage theatre, "The Foundry" 30-seat performance space, and 12 visual artist studios. Box office hours are Tuesdays - Fridays from 1:30 PM - 5:30 PM and one hour before every performance. More information and reservations can by made at www.NewVillageArts.org or by calling 760-433-3245 during box office hours. New Village Arts thanks its Season Sponsors, Jack and Valerie Cumming and the PC Chao Charitable Foundation.

NEW VILLAGE ARTS' SEASON TEN

The Seven Year Itch: July 29 - August 22, 2010
By George Axelrod
Directed by Amanda Sitton
Featuring NVA Ensemble Member Daren Scott with Melissa Fernandes and Jacque Wilke

The girl upstairs almost kills me with a cast iron bucket. So I ask her down for a drink. What's wrong with that?

"A grand and goofy comedy" - The New York News

It's a long, hot New York City summer in 1952 and advertising man Richard Sherman has sent his wife and son to enjoy the cooler climate of the beach while he stays home to work. When the upstairs neighbor, a stunning model for "US Camera" almost kills Richard with a tomato plant dropped from above, Richard begins to invest in his fantasy life, until the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred. A hilarious take on the shifting morals of 1950's America.

Into the Woods: September 23 - Oct 31
By Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine
Directed by James Vasquez
Featuring NVA Ensemble Member Sandra Ellis-Troy

Do you know what you wish? Are you certain what you wish is what you want?

"Joyous...non-stop pleasure...The best show yet from the most creative mind in the musical theater today." - Time Magazine

New Village Arts presents their first musical production!
Once Upon a Time...a baker and his wife embark on a quest into the woods, to fulfill the witch next door's request and lift a curse that has kept them from having a child. Along the way, they meet Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (and his beanstalk), Cinderella, two handsome princes and a motley assortment of other characters, all on quests of their own. Stephen Sondheim's enormously popular musical answers the question of what really happens after "happily ever after" and includes some of the most beautiful songs in the musical theatre canon, including "Giants in the Sky", "Children Will Listen" and "No One Is Alone."

As You Like It: Oct 6-10, 2010
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Liz Shipman
Produced in collaboration with Moonlight Cultural Foundation at Moonlight Amphitheatre
Featuring NVA Ensemble Member Amanda Sitton as Rosalind

We that are true lovers run into strange capers.

"Of all Shakespeare's comic heroines, Rosalind is the most gifted, as remarkable in her mode as Falstaff and Hamlet are in theirs." - Harold Bloom

New Village Arts revisits the first Shakespeare we ever produced!
What if, moments after meeting the love of your life, you were banished from your home? That's what happens to Shakespeare's greatest heroine, Rosalind, in AS YOU LIKE IT. Her journey and the fates of those around her are captured in this magical, comedic romp in the Forest of Arden.

The Santaland Diaries: Dec 2 - 24, 2010
By David Sedaris, Adapted by Joe Mantello
Directed by Kristianne Kurner
Starring NVA Ensemble Member Daren Scott

Congratulations, sir. You are an elf.

"a cheery and caustic 70 minutes of seasonal fun." - NC Times

NVA returns to Macy's Santaland for a second year, following the overwhelming success of last season. THE SANTALAND DIARIES takes us on a journey through one Christmas season with Crumpet the Elf as he encounters the insane world of the retail industry at the holidays. This production sold out almost every performance last year - be sure to get your tickets early!

Waving Goodbye: Jan 13 - Feb 6, 2011
SAN DIEGO PREMIERE
By Jamie Pachino
Directed by Dana Case
Featuring NVA Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner

How do you tell the story of a life? In one moment?

"Jamie Pachino writes from the gut and heart in a way that's utterly refreshing...an intriguing work that deserves to be heard." - Chicago Reader

Waving Goodbye is the story of Lily Blue, a 17-year-old photographer who loses her father in a mountain climbing accident, and must spend her 17th year with the mother who abandoned her. It's a story of loss, grief, change, making art, wishing things were different, being stalled, finding love, not turning into your mother, and those irrevocable moments after which nothing is ever the same.

Simpatico: March 3 - 27, 2011
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Lisa Berger
Featuring NVA Ensemble Member Manny Fernandes

You make a move like this, a radical move. Just one little move and everything shifts. Everything falls into place behind it.

"Breathtaking...Simpatico is MR. Shepard writing at his distinctive, savage best." - The New York Times

New Village Arts has built quite a reputation for its productions of the work of one of America's greatest dramatists, Sam Shepard. To celebrate Season 10, NVA presents a Shepard favorite. SIMPATICO blends all of Shepard's trademarks with an unbelievable sense of humor. This promises to be one of the most entertaining and enthralling nights at the theatre. Watch unbelievable actors tackle extreme situations under the direction of Lisa Berger, known for her ability to take edgy stories and tell them with compassion, humanity and humor.

Sweet Storm: April 21 - May 15, 2011
REGIONAL PREMIERE
By Scott Hudson
Directed by Daren Scott
Featuring NVA Ensemble Member Adam Brick with Kelly Iversen

I'm as happy as any surprised bride could be in her honeymoon treehouse out in the pourin' down rain in the middle of the woods.

"A genuine, honest-to-God love story!" - Theatermania
"Sweet Storm stays with you like the freshness following a summer cloudburst." - NY Times

In 1960 Florida during a ferociously approaching storm, Ruthie and Bo, two newlyweds, enter their honeymoon suite in the sky, a treehouse which is a romantic gesture from the young groom to his bride. Yet Bo's expectations of living happily ever after in the sky are soon grounded by Ruthie's realization that marriage comes with many unforeseen - and frightening - challenges. The two lovers struggle to fortify themselves against forces both inside and outside. This is a funny, powerful, and intimate love story to challenge our perceptions of marriage, faith, and love.

Death of a Salesman: June 9 - July 3, 2011
By Arthur Miller
Directed by Kristianne Kurner
Featuring NVA Ensemble Members Jack Missett, Dana Case and John DeCarlo with Greg Wittman

I don't say he's a great man. Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.

"One of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater" - Brooks Atkinson

Written by Arthur Miller in 1949, DEATH OF A SALESMAN won both the Tony and the Pulitzer and quickly become one of the most important and influential American plays. The story considers one ordinary man's struggle to be extraordinary in life. What defines success? How far will a person go to achieve the American dream? A thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty that remains one of the most profound classic dramas of the American theatre.